Apparatuses and methods for loading containers with products

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/463,751, filed on Sep. 8, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/179,610, filed on Feb. 19, 2021, the entire contents of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for loading a containers with products.

At least one example embodiment relates to a system for filling a plurality of containers with oral products. The system comprises a container station and a shuttle assembly. The container station is configured to provide a plurality of containers. The shuttle assembly is configured to move between a first shuttle position to receive a plurality of oral products and a second shuttle position to deposit the oral products into the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the shuttle assembly includes a plurality of receptacles and a gate. The plurality of receptacles is configured to retain the oral products. The gate is configured to move between a first gate position and a second gate position. In the first gate position, the gate extends transversely across the receptacles so as to retain the oral products within the receptacles. In the second gate position, the gate is at least partially outside of each receptacle so as to no longer retain the oral products within the receptacles.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes an arm. The arm is configured to engage the gate and move the gate between the first gate position and the second gate position.

In at least one example embodiment, the arm includes a protrusion and the gate defines a slot. The protrusion is configured to be at least partially within the slot when the arm engages the gate.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes a guide block configured to direct the oral products from the shuttle assembly to the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the guide block is configured to move between a first guide block position spaced apart from the containers to a second guide block position to engage lids of the containers and close the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the guide block defines a plurality of apertures through which the plurality of oral products pass.

In at least one example embodiment, the plurality of apertures define a first transverse dimension adjacent to the shuttle assembly and a second transverse dimension adjacent to the plurality of containers. The second transverse dimension is smaller than the first transverse dimension.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station further includes a plurality of tampers configured to move between a first tamper position spaced apart from the containers and a second tamper position at least partially within interior regions of the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes a guide block and a plurality of tampers. The guide block is configured to direct the oral products from the shuttle assembly to the containers. The plurality of tampers is configured to move between a first tamper position spaced apart from the containers and a second tamper position at least partially within interior regions of the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the shuttle assembly in the second shuttle position is between the tampers and the guide block.

In at least one example embodiment, the tampers in the second tamper position are at least partially within apertures of the guide block.

In at least one example embodiment, the shuttle assembly is configured to translate in a substantially horizontal direction between the first shuttle position and the second shuttle position.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes a piston configured to shake the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes a plurality of nozzles configured to direct a fluid at lids of the containers so as to open the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading station includes a vacuum configured engage lids of each of the respective containers to retain the containers in an open position.

In at least one example embodiment, the system further comprises a container station configured to provide the containers to the container loading station.

In at least one example embodiment, the container station includes a grip and a blade. The grip is configured to squeeze opposing sides of each of the containers deform a wall thereof. The blade is configured to engage a lid and at least partially open each of the containers.

In at least one example embodiment, the container station includes a serpentine track configured to sequentially direct the containers to the container loading station.

In at least one example embodiment, the system further includes a product metering station. The product metering station includes a plurality of passages and a gate. The gate is configured to move between a first gate position and a second gate position. In the first gate position, the gate extends transversely across the passages to retain the oral products within the passages. In the second gate position, the gate is at least partially outside of each of the passages to no longer retain the oral products in the passages.

At least one example embodiment relates to a method of filling a plurality of containers with oral products. The method comprises providing a plurality of products to a shuttle assembly in a first shuttle position. The method further comprises providing a plurality of containers to a container loading station. The method further comprises moving the shuttle assembly from the first shuttle position to a second shuttle position. The method further comprises, in the second shuttle position, transferring the oral products from the shuttle assembly to the containers.

Some detailed example embodiment are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiment. Example embodiment may, however, be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the example embodiment set forth herein.

Accordingly, while example embodiment are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, example embodiment thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiment to the particular forms disclosed, but to the contrary, example embodiment are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of example embodiment. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures.

It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “covering” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or covering the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiment.

Spatially relative terms (e.g., “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like) may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” may encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various example embodiment only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiment. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, and/or elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or groups thereof.

Example embodiment are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of example embodiment. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations are to be expected. Thus, example embodiment should not be construed as limited to the shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations and variations in shapes.

When the words “about” and “substantially” are used in this specification in connection with a numerical value, it is intended that the associated numerical value include a tolerance of ±10% around the stated numerical value, unless otherwise explicitly defined. Moreover, when the terms “generally” or “substantially” are used in connection with geometric shapes, it is intended that precision of the geometric shape is not required but that latitude for the shape is within the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, regardless of whether numerical values or shapes are modified as “about,” “generally,” or “substantially,” it will be understood that these values and shapes should be construed as including a manufacturing or operational tolerance (e.g., ±10%) around the stated numerical values or shapes.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiment belong. It will be further understood that terms, including those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

is a schematic view of an apparatus for loading a plurality of containers with products according to at least one example embodiment.

In at least one example embodiment, as shown in, an apparatusfor loading containers with products includes a product forming station, a product metering or counting station, a shuttle assembly, a container station, a conveyor system, a container loading station, an inspection station, a control interface, a control system, and a memory.

The product forming station is configured to form a plurality of products. In at least one example embodiment, the product forming station is configured to form a plurality of oral products.

In at least one example embodiment, the oral product is an oral tobacco product, an oral non-tobacco product, an oral cannabis product, or any combination thereof. The oral product may be in a form of loose material (e.g., loose cellulosic material), shaped material (e.g., plugs or twists), pouched material, tablets, lozenges, chews, gums, films, any other oral product, or any combination thereof.

The oral product may include chewing tobacco, snus, moist snuff tobacco, dry snuff tobacco, other smokeless tobacco and non-tobacco products for oral consumption, or any combination thereof.

Where the oral product is an oral tobacco product including smokeless tobacco product, the smokeless tobacco product may include tobacco that is whole, shredded, cut, granulated, reconstituted, cured, aged, fermented, pasteurized, or otherwise processed. Tobacco may be present as whole or portions of leaves, flowers, roots, stems, extracts (e.g., nicotine), or any combination thereof.

In at least one example embodiment, the oral product includes a tobacco extract, such as a tobacco-derived nicotine extract, and/or synthetic nicotine. The oral product may include nicotine alone or in combination with a carrier (e.g., white snus), such as a cellulosic material. The carrier may be a non-tobacco material (e.g., microcrystalline cellulose) or a tobacco material (e.g., tobacco fibers having reduced or eliminated nicotine content, which may be referred to as “exhausted tobacco plant tissue or fibers”). In some example embodiments, the exhausted tobacco plant tissue or fibers can be treated to remove at least 25%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% of the nicotine. For example, the tobacco plant tissue can be washed with water or another solvent to remove the nicotine.

In other example embodiments, the oral product may include cannabis, such as cannabis plant tissue and/or cannabis extracts. In at least one example embodiment, the cannabis material includes leaf and/or flower material from one or more species of cannabis plants and/or extracts from the one or more species of cannabis plants. The one or more species of cannabis plants may include, and/or. In at least one example embodiment, the cannabis may be in the form of fibers. In at least one example embodiment, the cannabis may include a cannabinoid, a terpene, and/or a flavonoid. In at least one example embodiment, the cannabis material may be a cannabis-derived cannabis material, such as a cannabis-derived cannabinoid, a cannabis-derived terpene, and/or a cannabis-derived flavonoid.

The oral product (e.g., the oral tobacco product, the oral non-tobacco product, or the oral cannabis product) may have various ranges of moisture. In at least one example embodiment, the oral product is a dry oral product having a moisture content ranging from 5% by weight to 10% by weight. In at least one example embodiment, the oral product has a medium moisture content, such as a moisture content ranging from 20% by weight to 35% by weight. In at least one example embodiment, the oral product is a wet oral product having a moisture content ranging from 40% by weight to 55% by weight.

In at least one example embodiment, oral product may further include one or more elements such as a mouth-stable polymer, a mouth-soluble polymer, a sweetener (e.g., a synthetic sweetener and/or a natural sweetener), an energizing agent, a soothing agent, a focusing agent, a plasticizer, mouth-soluble fibers, an alkaloid, a mineral, a vitamin, a dietary supplement, a nutraceutical, a coloring agent, an amino acid, a chemesthetic agent, an antioxidant, a food-grade emulsifier, a pH modifier, a botanical, a tooth-whitening agent, a therapeutic agent, a processing aid, a stearate, a wax, a stabilizer, a disintegrating agent, a lubricant, a preservative, a filler, a flavorant, flavor masking agents, a bitterness receptor site blocker, a receptor site enhancers, other additives, or any combination thereof.

With continued reference to, the product metering stationmay be configured to stage a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) number of products for subsequent transfer to the shuttle assembly, the container loading station, and a plurality of containers (see e.g., containerof). In at least one example embodiment, the product metering stationis configured to stage a plurality of sets of products, with each set including a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) number of products, for subsequent transfer into a respective plurality of containers.

The shuttle assemblyis configured to receive products from the product metering stationand transfer the products to a plurality of containers at the container loading station. In at least one example embodiment, the shuttle assemblyreceives the products in a first shuttle positionA. The shuttle assemblytransfers the products to the containers in a second shuttle positionB at the container loading station.

The container stationis configured to deliver the containers to the conveyor systemfor subsequent transfer to the container loading station. In at least one example embodiment, the container stationis configured to at least partially open containers prior to transferring the containers to the conveyor system, as described in greater detail below in the discussion accompanying.

In at least one example embodiment, the container loading stationis configured to deposit a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) number of products into each container of a plurality of containers. The container loading stationis configured to receive products from the product metering stationvia the shuttle assembly. The container loading stationis configured to receive containers from the container stationvia the conveyor system.

In at least one example embodiment, for each container, the inspection stationis configured to determine whether the container is closed, whether the products are fully within the container, whether the container is within a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) weight range, or any combination thereof.

In at least one example embodiment, the control interfacemay be configured to receive control commands, including commands provided by an operator based on manual interaction with the control interface. The control interfacemay be a manual interface, including a touchscreen display interface, a button interface, a mouse interface, a keyboard interface, any combination thereof, or the like. Control commands received at the control interfacemay be forwarded to the control system, and the control systemmay execute one or more programs of instruction, for example to adjust operation of one or more portions of the apparatus, based on the control commands.

In at least one example embodiment, the control system(e.g., the processor executing a program of instructions) may include the memory. The memorymay be configured to store information and look-up tables including desired (or alternatively, predetermined) values (e.g., number of containers on conveyor belt prior to operation of container loading station; number of products in each lane of the product metering station; number of attempts to partially open a container at the container station; weight range for a container loaded with products; and/or any other suitable values or ranges).

The control systemaccording to one or more example embodiments may be implemented using hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. Hardware may be implemented using processing or control circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors, one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), one or more microcontrollers, one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more microcomputers, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more System-on-Chips (SoCs), one or more programmable logic units (PLUS), one or more microprocessors, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), or any other device or devices capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.